Trentonian editorial: Expert advice

Finances a little squeezed? Here are some easy, sure-fire budgeting tips from two guys with high-finance expertise — Gov. Christie and President Obama. Christie deals in billions of dollars, Obama in trillions.

Got your pen and paper ready? Okay, here we go. Christie first.

Budgeting’s an income-vs.-outgo challenge, right? Here’s the Christie tip: You simply anticipate more income. Maybe you’ll get a raise. Maybe a bonus. Maybe hit the lottery. Maybe all three. Take a guess on what the sum of that trifecta might be. Write it down as income. (Or “anticipated revenue,” if you want to sound really professional.)

There! Already you’re thousands and thousands of dollars up. See how easy that was! Didn’t we tell you? Now on to Obama’s tips and the real money.

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These tips are nothing short of amazing. When you hear them, you’ll do a Homer Simpson. You’ll go, “Doh! Why didn’t I think of that?”

You’re about to object, “But I wasn’t going to buy a Picasso painting” — right? Doesn’t matter. Write the “savings” down anyway. Don’t quibble with the experts.

This is how Obama has come up with hundreds of a billions of projected future “savings.” No, not by forgoing the purchase of a Picasso. But same principle. He counts as future “savings” the avoidance of nonexistent future costs of the discontinued U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Nifty, eh?

Here’s another Obama budgeting tip. Identify one of your major expenses. You say you have huge out-of-pocket healthcare costs? Great! Just move the figure over into the “savings” column. That’s what Obama is doing with his ObamaCare. Others such as the CBO say it’s going to COST hundreds of billions. Skeptics. Obama — famously a man of hope — puts it down as “savings.” You can do likewise.

Another handy Obama tip: Demand more “revenue.” In your case, that’s a raise. And don’t be nice about it. Tell your employers the over-privileged jerks should be paying their “fair share” lest your kids have to go to bed hungry or lest Granny has to domicile in a cardboard box on a steam grate. Lay on the guilt — thick.

Bonus Obama tip: Don’t forget you can always borrow. Got any Chinese friends? You can even borrow from them to pay what you owe them. Beats a mob loanshark any day of the week.

Follow these tips and folks will swear you’re a genius. When they do, modesty is optional.